Coming into college, people love to give you advice. You probably heard that you should work hard, have fun, and enjoy it while it lasts. This is great advice, but you probably heard it from people that went to college a while ago. Besides, it’s kinda overdone. And what does that even look like in practice? What does that even mean: “work hard and have fun”? So if you’re looking for some real advice for college: take it from someone who’s still in college, take it from a fifth year, take it from me.
- You are not a resume.
People will tell you that college is all about networking and putting together your resume. And sure, this is super important. Your resume will help you get into good post-grad programs and help you get future jobs. I don’t want to undersell the importance of a good resume. But you are not a resume. College is about more than just cultivating a list of achievements. It’s about making mistakes, finding your passion, and doing things simply because you want to. For me, this meant that everytime I did something “for my resume”, I also did something for myself. For example, I joined an honor society for my resume, but I joined a sorority just for me. I’m not telling you not to do that internship, you should absolutely do it. But, make sure that you’re doing things for you too because you are more than just a piece of paper, and your memories should be about more than just a list of accomplishments.
- It’s ok to switch your major.
Unless you came in undeclared, you picked your major while you were still in high school. You then came to college, started taking classes, and oh no… you hate it. That’s ok! I’ve heard so many people tell me that they hate their major but they aren’t changing it because they’re “already too far in” or “don’t know what else to do”. College is all about figuring out what you’re passionate about and what you want to do with your future. You don’t have to come in already knowing. Even if a few classes don’t transfer, don’t stick with a major you hate just because of a few credits, switch it and switch it again! It’ll be ok and you’ll be happier for it.
- No one has it all figured out.
All I ever hear is that I seem like I have it all together, that I have it all figured out. Newsflash: I don’t. Because no one actually does. Everyone is figuring it out as they go. And yeah, maybe I know what I’m doing in a vague, general sense, but three months ago I had a breakdown on the beach because I was freaking out about my future (I’m not kidding). It’s ok if you’re stressed out and don’t know what you’re doing, it will work out. Seek out mentors, lean on the people with more experience, don’t compare yourself to others, and ask as many questions as you can. It’s ok if you don’t have it all figured out, no one actually does, even if it seems like they do.
- It’s ok to lose friends and make new ones.
In case you didn’t know, your brain isn’t done developing until well into your 20s and maybe even beyond that (the research is still out on that one). That means that the person that you’re going to be when you graduate is not the same person you were when you started. You’re going through major personality changes. You’re becoming you! And it’s ok if the people that fit in your life at 18, don’t fit in your life at 22. I’ve lost so many friends in college, not because of big blowout fights, but because we don’t fit in each other’s lives anymore, and that’s ok. I’ve also made so many incredible new friends and I’m better off because of it. Bottom line: sometimes letting go is easier than holding on. You’re making room in your life for people who fit, and you’re allowing those old friends to do the same.
- Sleep more than you study, study more than you party, and party as much as you can.
I couldn’t finish this off, without adding my own version of the “work hard and have fun” advice. Sleep more than you study. Everyone wants to have fun and do well academically, but you can’t do either if you’re not taking care of yourself. You need your sleep, more than anything else. You can’t survive on three hours a night. Trust me, been there, done that. Study more than you party. Let’s not forget that you’re in college to get a degree. You’re a student before you’re anything else. And yeah, parties are fun, but you can’t go to college parties if you’re not in college. So, take care of your academics before you have your fun. Party as much as you can. Ok, so I’ll concede a little bit. College is about more than having fun… but it’s also about having fun. You’re never going to be this young and this free of responsibilities again. So, if you’re getting good sleep and you’re doing well in school, have as much fun as you possibly can!
So there it is: five pieces of advice for the five years I’ve been in college. I really hope that if you were stressed about any of these things, that this helped you relax a little bit and helped you feel a little better. College is hard for everyone, it’s not just you. And if there’s one piece of advice I want you to take away from this, it’s this: It’s all going to be ok. Take a deep breath. I believe in you.